By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

New Xavier athletic director Dawn Rogers worked with former AD Mike Bobinski for six years at the school. THOMAS E. WITTE for the Enquirer

From the back of the Conaton board room at Xavier University Friday, Mike Bobinski stood and watched his protege beam with pride, her career goal of becoming an athletic director realized at age 39.

The new Xavier AD, Dawn Rogers, got the job she wanted after working six years as second in command to Bobinski, who is moving on as Xavier's associate vice president of development.

Rogers' honeymoon will be brief, if there is one at all. The pressure of suddenly being the boss is real and, for an unproven athletic director, can be overwhelming. Bobinski groomed Rogers for this, and her decision-making has been vital to Xavier's success. Now, she will have the final say on Xavier's most important athletic decisions, none more essential than the future of men's basketball coach Thad Matta.

Rogers is an expert at improving student-athletes' experiences in all sports, and she should be lauded for that. But how she works with Matta, one of the nation's most successful young coaches, ultimately will determine how XU fans and boosters judge Rogers' job performance.

It is no secret that Matta and Bobinski have been close since the spring day in 2001 when Bobinski first interviewed Matta in Indianapolis. That relationship evolved to the point where Bobinski provided a steady, reassuring voice during January when Xavier was 10-9 and public outcry suggested Matta had lost control of his team. He hadn't, but more importantly, he hadn't lost the confidence or trust of his boss, either.

During that period, there was a conversation in Matta's office when Bobinski simply asked how things were going. Two hours later, Bobinski emerged from the office having quietly listened to Matta voice many of his frustrations with the team. It was a stress release Matta needed to re-energize his efforts toward turning around the season, which ended with an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight run.

Rogers needs to have that trust with Matta. She was hired because Xavier president Michael Graham believes she will.

It matters, because a couple hundred thousand dollars more at a big state school can't buy the comfort and peace of mind of having a good relationship with your boss.

Matta is very happy at Xavier, and he was part of the search committee that chose Rogers. He knows her, respects her and ultimately wanted her to be the one to replace Bobinski.

Rogers must ensure that Matta and the rest of the Xavier coaches, including women's basketball coach Kevin McGuff, accept her as they did Bobinski - their friend and boss who battled tirelessly for them.

Rogers also must require that Matta be fairly compensated. As happy as he is at Xavier, Matta hasn't forgotten how a minority of fans viewed him and the team during January. More than a few times, he heard suggestions that he should "go back to Butler," and the radio talk shows and fan message boards lit up with criticism of him.

Dealing with that is part of the job, but at a high-profile basketball program such as Xavier's, the coach should be paid accordingly. In the NCAA Tournament, Matta defeated three coaches who combine to make almost $4 million annually. According to Xavier's most recent tax return, Matta made $359,110 in salary, plus another $40,714 in deferred compensation in 2002-03. With outside incentives included, Xavier sources put Matta's total figure at more than $600,000.

Continuing to keep Matta's contract competitive needs to be as much a priority for Rogers as it was for Bobinski. Rogers knows this, and now it's her job to make it happen.

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com